Champagne Stand-ins Sparkle In The Kitchen

December 28, 1989|By John Tanasychuk, Knight-Ridder Newspapers

When I moved into a new house a couple of years ago, a friend arrived with a festively wrapped gift. As I tore off the paper and pulled out a tall, dark green bottle with a foil-topped cork, she saw the gleam in my eye and cautioned: ''It's not champagne.''

It was champagne vinegar, and its life span has turned out to be impressive. Champagne would have disappeared in a cloud of bubbles instantly. Two years later, the same bottle of champagne vinegar is as good as ever.

Champagne vinegar imparts the light, delicate touch you would expect of its origins. And whether it's vinegar or the sparkling wine itself, champagne lends a certain mystique to cooking. These days, it seems, more and more chefs are are serving champagne sauces with their creations.

''Champagne denotes elegance,'' said chef John Mafale of Park Place Cafe in Detroit, who uses it in sauces for a variety of seafood,

especially shellfish. ''There's something about the sound of it that is very appealing.'' And, he adds, ''the acid content gives a little zing.''

But is there any reason to pour champagne itself into a pan and watch its bubbles sizzle away? No less an authority than cookbook author and veteran food writer Craig Claiborne takes the view that it's better to drink it with the meal than use it as an ingredient.

Because champagne is made from the chardonnay grape, chef Peter Loren said he uses chardonnay in his champagne sauces, while continuing to use the term champagne sauce. ''I would have to buy a poor champagne for the cost of the decent chardonnay,'' he said. ''And you get a lot more of the flavor of the grape from the chardonnay in the sauce itself.''

''I wouldn't take a good champagne and use it in a sauce.'' agreed chef Michael Tuma of Justine in Midland, Mich. If he did use champagne, Tuma said, it would be in a dessert sauce, ''perhaps a sabayon sweet custard sauce for a souffle.''

To make stock, clean and devein shrimp, reserving shells. Refrigerate shrimp. Combine shells, white part of leek or scallions, celery, tomato and water in a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat and cook until reduced by half, about 15 minutes. Strain through a fine strainer or cheesecloth. Discard shells, white part of scallions or leek, celery and tomato. Set stock aside.

To make sauce, combine stock and champagne in a medium saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat and cook until reduced by half, about 20 minutes. Add heavy cream and reduce by half, about 10 minutes, or until a sauce-like consistency. Season to taste with salt and white pepper.

To make seafood and assemble, heat 2 tablespoons olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add shrimp and scallops and saute, stirring, until just tender, about 10 minutes. Do not overcook. In a separate pan heat remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil over medium heat and saute reserved green part of julienned leeks or scallions until tender but do not brown, about 5 minutes. Arrange shrimp and scallops around outside of plate. Top with sauce, and center with sauteed leek or scallions.